KING FEATURES CARTOONISTS HONORED BY THE NATIONAL CARTOONISTS SOCIETY

· NCS Also Recognizes Jim Borgman and Jerry Scott for “Zits” and Hilary Price for “Rhymes With Orange”

(New York – For Immediate Release) Dan Piraro, creator of the satirical comic panel “Bizarro,” is nominated for the Reuben Award for “Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year” from The National Cartoonists Society (NCS). The “Oscar® of cartooning” will be presented at a black tie gala during the 60th Annual NCS Reuben Awards ceremony in Chicago on May 27, 2006.

The prestigious Reuben Award is given by the NCS each year for exemplary cartoon work created in the previous year. Previously called the Billy DeBeck Memorial Award, the Reuben Award was introduced in 1954 and is named after the NCS’ first president Rube Goldberg. Nominees in 12 separate categories, from magazine illustrations and greeting cards to newspaper comic strips and panels, to TV and feature animation and comic books, are selected by their fellow peers for their outstanding achievements in all walks of the cartooning profession.

Information about the National Cartoonists Society and a complete list of this year’s award nominees, including biographies, photographs and samples of their work, can be found on the National Cartoonists Society’s Web site (http://www.reuben.org).

AND THE NOMINEES FROM KING FEATURES ARE…

“Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year”

Dan Piraro – “Bizarro”

This marks Piraro’s fourth consecutive nomination for the Reuben Award for “Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year.” No stranger to recognition from the National Cartoonists Society, Piraro won three consecutive awards for “Best Newspaper Cartoon Panel of the Year” in 2000, 2001 and 2002.

Distributed internationally by King Features Syndicate to more than 250 daily and Sunday newspapers, “Bizarro” is a satirical look at the surreal qualities of “normal life.” Combining detail-driven artwork with his love of history and pop culture, Piraro tackles a wide variety of topics and targets, including corporate greed, environmental waste, over-the-top consumerism and animal rights. “Bizarro” has been in syndication since 1985.

“Best Newspaper Comic Strip of the Year”

Jim Borgman and Jerry Scott – “Zits”

Created in 1997 by Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist Jim Borgman and award-winning cartoonist and writer Jerry Scott, who also co-creates the popular “Baby Blues” strip, “Zits” features the comic adventures of fifteen-year-old Jeremy Duncan, a high school freshman and aspiring musician, who longs for the day that he finally gets his driver’s license.

The enormously popular comic strip appears in more than 1,500 newspapers worldwide and depicts teenage and parental angst like no other strip on the comics pages today. “Zits” reached a rarified comics milestone when it passed the 1,000th newspaper mark in 2002. “Zits” is the only strip in comics history to reach that distinction in the short span of five years.

“Best Newspaper Cartoon Panel of the Year”

Hilary Price – “Rhymes With Orange”

When “Rhymes with Orange” made its debut in June 1995, Hilary Price became the youngest female cartoonist with a syndicated daily comic strip. The strip became an instant hit with readers.

“Rhymes With Orange” is a smart and relevant strip that appeals to the under-40 newspaper reader. With insightful wit, it spoofs everyday contemporary life. Without regular characters, Price uses everything from dogs and cats to charts and graphs to comment on the world today.

This is Price’s second NCS nomination. In 2001, Price was nominated for “Best Newspaper Cartoon Panel“.

“Best Editorial Cartoonist”

Jim Borgman – Cincinnati Enquirer

Pulitzer-prize winner Jim Borgman is among the most respected cartoonists in America. In 1980, he joined King Features Syndicate, which today distributes his work to more than 175 newspapers. In addition to his three weekly cartoons, Borgman continues as the Enquirer’s full-time editorial cartoonist, commenting on local, state, national and international issues four-times-a-week. He also is the artist of the phenomenally popular and internationally distributed comic strip “Zits.”

Borgman has won the National Cartoonists Society’s “Best Editorial Cartoonist Award” four times. In 1993, Borgman received the cartooning industry’s highest honor, the Reuben Award for “Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year.”

About the National Cartoonists Society

The National Cartoonists Society is the world’s largest and most prestigious organization of professional cartoonists. Founded in 1946 by a small group of cartoonists, the NCS membership roster currently includes more than 600 of the world’s major cartoonists, working in many branches of the profession, including comic strips, comic books, comic panels, editorial cartoons, animation, gag cartoons, greeting cards, advertising, humorous magazine and book illustration, sports cartoons and more. The official headquarters of the National Cartoonists Society is in New York City. There are 12 chartered and active regional chapters around the country.